It was no surprise that the Navy Yard’s Saturday-night gate guard greeted my car with wry amusement. Given all the restaurants in all the neighborhoods of Philly, who picks one in a deserted office park half a forlorn mile from the nearest SEPTA station? I wish I could have seen him later when a sleek SUV limo rolled up, blinker flashing for Lo Spiedo.

The Vetri Family’s latest restaurant may profit most from its location at lunch, when this resurgent hub teems with some 11,500 workers. But it can also thank Uber, which no doubt delivered many of the customers who filled this stately brick building in after-dark Nowheresville with Center City-level weekend energy. Read more »

Craig LaBan reviews the Navy Yard’s Lo Spiedo. LaBan enjoys much of the menu but inconsistencies have him wondering if the South Broad Street restaurant can be the magnet that Marc Vetri’s Osteria is on North Broad.

The meats and seafood are obviously the main event, and each brimmed with a zest of the live-fire.

The spit-roasted octopus, in contrast to the roll, was magnificent undressed on the plate, its long, tender arms kissed with little more than olive oil, lemon and char. The spice-rubbed brisket was also superbly rendered, moist and infused with smoke. But I preferred it as a composed sandwich, chopped on toasted bread with slaw and horseradish, rather than as a lonely hunk in a pan, as it is offered in the entrée section.

Here on Property we’ve been covering an assorted number of new projects poised to transform Philadelphia’s cityscape. As the new year approaches, that number will only continue to grow, and you can be sure we’ll be following all of them.

However, of those that have been announced for 2015, there have been some which have struck us as being potential game-changers. Below you will find five areas in Philadelphia development that we will keep a special eye on in the coming year.

Mayoral would-be Terry Gillen gave a TEDxPhiladelphia lecture earlier this year in which she discussed the revival and ever-evolving transformation of what was once an abandoned military base in South Philadelphia: the Navy Yard, now a “vibrant urban business park” that is only just getting started on its new life.

Nothing is set in stone just yet, but Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. is looking to get state and city money to help construct a 200,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at the Navy Yard.

Here’s more from the Philadelphia Business Journal:

The project would cost tens of millions of dollars to build and the Philadelphia-based company is seeking state and city funds to help finance it. How many people Axalta would employ at the facility couldn’t be determined nor could the time frame the company is working under. An Axalta spokesman couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Marc Vetri’s seventh restaurant, Lo Spiedo officially opens today. Located just inside the gates at the Navy Yard in South Philadelphia, Lo Spiedo aims to be a lunch option for the Navy Yard’s 11,000 plus employees as well as a dinner destination for Philadelphia diners.

Now that it’s officially fall and everyone is being blasted with pumpkin in beer, cheesecake, lattes and anything else that is drinkable or edible, take a moment this weekend to remember the original fall food: the apple.

This Saturday at the Navy Yard will be the 2nd annual Pour the Core Festival, the hard cider festival of Philly’s fall. The Festival runs from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.–hours filled with locally-produced and internationally-sourced ciders, more than 75 in total. The event will feature local favorites like the artfully crafted Frecon’s Cidery Crabby Granny, best-selling US brands like event sponsor Woodchuck Hard Cider, and a variety of imported ciders from Spain, England and elsewhere.

Whether you’re looking to host, cook, serve or bartend, Foobooz’s Job Board has got you covered. This week’s restaurant jobs are especially intriguing, with the opening of Vetri Family’s seventh restaurant, Lo Spiedo, located at the Navy Yard. On September 3rd-5th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the family will be hosting an all-positions job fair at Alla Spina for their new restaurant. Italian for “the spit,” Lo Spiedo will mainly feature Italian, grill-centric dishes and will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Vetri Family is seeking out passionate and talented individuals for hire, and requests that all candidates bring a resume to the fair for consideration. Alla Spina is located at 1410 Mt. Vernon Street, off the corner of Mt. Vernon and Broad.

Chef Scott Calhoun has been announced as the chef for the upcoming Marc Vetri restaurant, Lo Spiedo. Lo Spiedo, which is Italian for “the spit” is aiming to open this September at the entrance of the Navy Yard in South Philadelphia.

On Tuesday, September 16th, Calhoun is hosting a preview dinner of what will be served at Lo Spiedo at Osteria. The four-course dinner is available for $175 per person and tickets are extremely limited.